Cloudy iridescence

 

Thin clouds of ice crystals

Thin clouds with small and uniformly-shaped ice crystals passing close to the sun diffract the sunlight and produce iridescence.  

 

 

A train of clouds

The intensity of the irisation increases as the clouds get nearer to the sun.  The clouds on the left are about 10 degrees away from the sun.  As this formation moves to the left, the clouds on the right will soon get to show off their pastel colors.

 

 

Three setting suns

The cold clouds of a passing weather front afford the sight of three suns setting.

 

Close to the horizon

The sun dogs on either side of the sun are caused by the refraction of the sunlight through the ice crystals in the clouds.   These parhelia are approximately 22 degrees to either side of the sun.  The red is closest to the sun with the blue to the outside.

 

For the stereogrammers,

 

At sunset in 3d

 

this sundog scene is presented as a relaxed view stereograph.

  

Contrail in the front

 

There is an airplane there

This twin jet engine aircraft is transiting from the clear skies of a cold front for the cloudier ones of the warm front. 

 

 

Visible in silhouette

Having entered the warm front, the contrail from the jet plane began getting longer.

 

 

Two bees in a blossom

 

. . . munch munch munch . . . 

Two bumblebees banqueting in a rose blossom.   

 

These bumble bees may be Bombus auricomus (black and gold bumblebee); they are so bunched up it is hard tell.

 

 

 

Tiny diamonds

 

44x44 diamonds

This 44 x 44 diamond pattern manhole cover was seen in the street beneath our feet.  It shows that it was made by the LeBaron Foundry.  That foundry was founded in 1855; it was last located on East Union Street in Brockton, Massachusetts.  In 2008, it was bought by the East Jordan Iron Works (EJIW) of East Jordan, Michigan, and subsequently closed.

 

Snack advice

Don't bother - fake UPC

This warning is seen on the back of a pre-packaged snack pak: 

 

Warning:  This product is not intended for children under 4 years of age.  To reduce the risk of choking, all children should be seated and supervised while eating. 

Leaky wall

 

 

This leaky pattern is created by water flowing through a  crack in the concrete.  The dissolved calcium hydroxide is brought to the surface where it hardens.